Key Signature Questions

[Les Fret]

Would you call the following song as DORIAN because Verse and Chorus start on ii?
The same "rotational chord progression", just "more educated musicians" allowed the song to pronounce that
Tonic chord.

That Suzi Quatro song is Am-D-G-Em.
Yes, that would be either A dorian or G major to me. You could see it as IIm-V-I-VIm in G. In this case there is a stronger tendency towards the G as tonic than in the Daft Punk example because of the II-V-I.

 

[Les Fret]

The Wintermute song I would say is A lydian. The Chords Are F#m, C#sus2, Asus2, Asus2. The Asus2 chord feels as the 'home chord' to me.

Basically it comes down to this: what is the home chord? That to me is the key that the song is in.

 

[Yellow Bang66]

I tend to go with the traditional convention for key signature, but I see exceptions all the time:

A song in D Dorian should take the key signature of D natural minor which is one flat. But I see D Dorian notatated as C Major which is the diatonic major key, esp. if its modal.

Today. I was reading Celebration by Kool and the Gang which is in Ab. The song resolves to Ab7. But the written key signature was Db (5 flats). Which may make sense since the song scale is Ab mixolydian which is Db ionian.

Any thoughts on this?

IMHO, according to my education long, long ago. What I remember is the Key signature refers to the MAJOR Key center of the composition or its relative MINOR, not the other modes! I think that would have to be written on the sheet music or title, Suite #1 in D dorian. I guess you could write it out in it's relative Major key signature, but i dont think its done that way. I think there might be a notation somewhere or you just gotta remember it's written that way.It would be tooo goofy/clumsy to look and say C Major or E phrygian mode! I dont believe traditional composers wrote that way!

 

[Whousedtoplay]

OK, let's go back to class...

Steve,

You will always have my excuse to miss the MODES class!

 

[SteveCS]

Steve,

You will always have my excuse to miss the MODES class!

Likewise yourself. I imagine that was a quote from someone else?

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Likewise yourself. I imagine that was a quote from someone else?

 

[IamGroot]

IMHO, according to my education long, long ago. What I remember is the Key signature refers to the MAJOR Key center of the composition or its relative MINOR, not the other modes! I think that would have to be written on the sheet music or title, Suite #1 in D dorian. I guess you could write it out in it's relative Major key signature, but i dont think its done that way. I think there might be a notation somewhere or you just gotta remember it's written that way.It would be tooo goofy/clumsy to look and say C Major or E phrygian mode! I dont believe traditional composers wrote that way!

This was pretty much the answer I was looking for the traditional viewpoint.

The alternate viewpoint is that you can use key signatures to reflect modes encompassed by the Major key.

Thanks to all that participated in this discussion.

Disclaimer: No TBers were harmed in this discussion.

 

[Don Kasper]

Disclaimer: No TBers were harmed in this discussion.

No Body....No Crime.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

No Body....No Crime.

Sorry, Detective Don,

Before you leave for your safe and secure DB forum, could tell me what MODE prevails in the following track that became my "moody" (chaotic) Friday morning wake-up call?

(I don't have anybody else to ask?)

 

[Don Kasper]

what MODE

Sorry - I am NOT A MODALIST.
Thanks.

 

[Whousedtoplay]

Sorry - I am NOT A MODALIST.
Thanks.

Nobody loves WUTP.